Circuit-closer for electric railways



Patented Jan. 24, I899.

LWAYS.

No. s|e,|79.

G. H. MCFEATERS.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOB ELECTRIC BAI (Application filed Oct. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNES ES TTOHNE V.

M STATES PATENT *"l rrrcn.

GEORGE II. MCFEATER S, OE JOHNSTOIVN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF OHIO.

ClRCU lT-CLOSER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,179, dated January 24, 1899.

Application filed October 10,1898- Serial No. 693,081. (No model.)

To (1 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. MoFEArERs, of Johnstown, in the county of (lambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Closers for Electric Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electric contactboxes for that class of railways in which an underground circuit-closer is operated by a traveling magnet carried by the passing car. In this class of railways the circuit-closer is preferably inclosed in a sealed vessel contained within the contact-box. The closer is of extraordinary importance, for there are several hundred of the circuit-closers operated during each mile of travel of a single car. In order, therefore, that a system shall be continuously operated without prohibitive cost of installation and maintenance, the circuit-closers must be simple, compact, and durable without any complicated parts to become defective.

The object of this invention is to provide a circuit-closer that will comply with the above conditions and will require a minimum of power to operate it and the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts by which, as will hereinafter appear, I attain these objects and am enabled to provide a circuit-closer having no pivots, springs, or other parts liable to become defective, the opening of the circuitcloser being effected by gravity alone.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the device, Figure 1 is a transverse section of a contact-box, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inside of the lower half of the vessel containing the circuit-closer, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the said vessel and contents.

A is the'contact-surface, of hard non-ma netizable material. B represents the magnetizable material cast to the sides of the nonmagnetic center 0 and the contact-surface A, so that the sides are magnetically separated from each other by the contact-piece A and the center C. These parts A, B, and O together form the metallic cover of the box.

The coverB is secured to the base E by bolts a and nuts I).

The vessel containing the circuit-closer is composed of two parts, an upper part F and a lower part F. The part F contains a copper ribbon I-I, folded upon itself, so as to form a plurality of horizontal layers, and connected at one end to a conductor g, secured in the lower wall of the vessel. The armature H is composed of a simple plate and is arranged transversely above the top fold of the ribbon H and fastened to the end thereof. An electrode G, preferablyof carbon, is secured to an armature H, as shown. When in a normal position, the armature I-I rests on the ledge f, which projects upwardly from the interior of vessel member F. The armature is arranged with its center under the non-magnetizable center of the cover and with its end beneath the magnetizable sides B of the cover, so that the shortest possible magnetic path is provided. lVhen the armature is raised by the traveling magnet, it contacts with a fixed carbon electrode G secured, by a bolt 1), with a conductor g, in the top wall of the vessel.

Conductor g is in connection with the electric feeder h by means of contact-springs s, engaging an upward projection or terminal 25, to which the feeder 7b is secured. Terminal i is embedded in insulator i, secured to an open-topped vessel J, which is carried by the end of tube K, which surrounds the end of feeder h.

j is a rubber bushing resting in the end of tube K and surrounding feeder h.

L is an insulator liquid provided for the purpose of preventing moisture-leaks.

Conductor g is screwed to the top of the contact-box. \Vhen, therefore, armature H is raised and electrodes G and G contact, a circuit is closed between feeder h and contact-strip A.

Acircular projection it in the upper part of F is provided for the purpose of preventing any settlement of carbon-dust on the lower surface of conductor g or on the bolt b. As can be readily seen, the contacting electrodes G and G are bound to abrade, and particles of the carbon E will scatter and cling to the sides of the vessel. Eventually enough carbon would be collected on the walls to pro vide a continuous path for the current from armature H to conductor but the downwardly-projecting hood it protects the conductor g and breaks the continuity of such a conducting-path.

The parts F and F are fastened together by means of a clamp-ring m, engaging F, and a ring-nut m", surrounding the part F in a similar manner and engaged by clamp-ring m.

To show a finished structure, I have shown many details of construction which are immaterial to my present invention and to which I lay no claim; but on the other hand I do not limit myself to the specific construction which I have shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a cover having two sides of magnetizable material separated by a non-magnetizable center, a fixed electrode below said center, and in connection therewith, a transversely-disposed armature with its ends beneath the magnetizable sides of the cover, an electrode carried by the center of said armature, and connections from the armature to the source of electric supply.

2. The combination, in an electric contactbox, of the cover having two sides of magnetizable material separated by a non-magnetizable center, a stationary carbon contact in connection with said top and below the same, a transversely-disposed armature below said cover, connections thereto from the source of supply, and a second carbon contact secured to said transversely-disposed armature.

3. The combination, in an electric contactbox, of a cover forming the contact portion of the box, a closed vessel below the same, a fixed electrode within the same and electrically connected to the said cover, a movable electrode below said fixed electrode, an armature carrying said movable electrode, ledges formed in said vessel and normally supporting said armature, a continuous flexible ribbon connected to the armature, and a conductor in the bottom of said vessel in connection with the source of electrical supply and with the said ribbon.

4. The combination, in an electric contactbox, of a cover forming the contact portion of the box and formed of two sides of magnetizable material separated by a non-magnetizable center, a closed vessel below the same, a fixed electrode within the same and electrically connected to the said cover, a movable electrode below said fixed electrode, a transversely-disposed armature carrying said movable electrode, ledges formed in said vessel and normally supporting said armature with its ends below the said sides of the box-cover, a continuous flexible ribbon connected to the armature, and a conductor in the bottom of said vessel in connection with the source of electrical supply and with the said ribbon.

5. The combination, in an electric contactbox, of a closed vessel, conductors in the upper and lower walls of the same, a fixed electrode secured to the upper of said conductors, a flexible ribbon connected at one end to the other of said conductors and bent upon itself to form a plurality of horizontal layers across the lower part of the vessel, ledges on the bottom wall of the vessel, an armature normally disposed on a line at right angles to the said ribbon and connected to the end there= of, and an electrode carried by said armature.

6. The combination, in an electric contact box, of a closed vessel, conductors in the upper and lower walls of the same, a carbon electrode within the vessel and a member connecting the same with the u'pper'of said conductors, a flexible ribbon connected at one end to the other of said conductors and bent upon itself to form a plurality of horizontal layers across the lower part of the vessel, an armature normally supported by saidledges in a horizontal plane, and disposed on a line at right angles to the saidribbon and connected to the end thereof, and a carbon elec trode secured to the top of said armature and adapted to engage the upper carbon when the armature is raised by magnetic attraction.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. 'II. MOFEATERS.

Witnesses:

FRANK STORMER, H. M. HAINES. 

